33 RCMP Investigations into Liberal Government Activities

OTTAWA – Yesterday's announcement that the RCMP are conducting a criminal investigation into the Income Trust Scandal is just another chapter in an ongoing saga. Here are some media reports of RCMP investigations over the past three years:

• The RCMP is probing a $76.5 million DND contract with Compaq Canada. (National Post, September 30, 2003).

• Paul Coffin, president of a Montreal-based advertising company with Liberal links, was charged by the RCMP with 18 counts of fraud, involving $2-million. (Globe and Mail, September 29, 2003). • Chuck Guite and Jean Brault, the former head of the Groupaction firm, are facing charges in the sponsorship scandal. • A third advertising executive with Liberal connections was charged with fraud.as part of the RCMP's investigation into the sponsorship program. Jacques Paradis, the former president of Publicite Martin in Montreal, allegedly submitted fake invoices worth $98,250 as part of a $1.2-million sponsorship of the Montreal Expos in 1998. (Globe and Mail, October 22, 2004). • The RCMP continues to probe the sponsorship contracts and says more charges are pending. (Globe and Mail, September 29, 2003). Minister Ralph Goodale has referred a dozen files from five companies to the RCMP for investigation, including GroupAction. (Fredericton Daily Gleaner, September 15, 2003). • The RCMP has raided the offices of Communications Coffin and GroupAction as well as "many other raids". (Globe and Mail, September 10, 2003). • Reports also suggest that the RCMP are also investigating the federal Liberal Party's Quebec wing as a part of the investigation into the sponsorship scandal. (Calgary Sun, September 26, 2003). • A report revealed that the Public Works Department has refused to release information under access to information on a $750,000 sponsorship contract for the 1999 Corner Brook Canada Games, citing an ongoing investigation. (St. John's Telegram, December 1, 2004) • In July, a Public Works payroll specialist working at RCMP headquarters was charged with 10 counts each of fraud and theft for allegedly paying himself $250,000 illegally. (Calgary Sun, September 26, 2003). • The Liberal Party has requested that the RCMP investigate whether it was a victim of fraud in the sponsorship scandal (Statement by Liberal Party Lawyer, April 4, 2005) • Martin referred the Gomery report to the RCMP (Martin Statement, November 1, 2005)

• The RCMP is investigating possible fraud and bribery within Industry Canada, involving possible "overpayments" to recipients of federal business grants. (Globe and Mail, September 29, 2003). • A former Ontario director of a federal agency is facing fraud charges after allegedly using government credit cards to buy hockey memorabilia. (National Post, January 7, 2005) • David Emerson told the House of Commons that several Technology Partnerships Canada files had been referred to the RCMP (Hansard, October 3, 2005) • Lobbyist Registrar Michael Nelson said that he has referred a case involving a lobbyist to the RCMP (Ottawa Citizen, November 7, 2005)

• More than half a dozen bureaucrats have been "removed" from their jobs at a Human Resources Development Canada (HRDC) in Toronto following a police investigation into projects funded under one of the department's grants and contributions programs (St. John's Telegram, September 15, 2003).

• The auditor general called on the RCMP and Revenue Canada to investigate George Radwanski's spending habits. (CTV.ca, September 30, 2003). • The Leader of the Government in the Senate, the Hon. Sharon Carstairs, responding to a question from Senator Stratton, acknowledged that there are as many as 12 ongoing RCMP investigations into the Office of the Privacy Commissioner. (Hansard, October 1, 2003).

• Revenue Minister Elinor Caplan has called in the RCMP and ordered a sweeping security review after four tax department computers were stolen containing confidential personal information on more than 120,000 Canadians. (Windsor Star, September 30, 2003). • Following a six month investigation, the Royal Canadian Mounted Police Greater Toronto Area Commercial Crime Section has laid a charge of Breach of Trust by Public Officer against a former employee of the Canada Customs & Revenue Agency (CCRA), alleging that she disclosed confidential tax payer information to an unauthorized person. (release via Canada News Wire, October 7, 2003).

• The investigations into the Virginia Fontaine Addictions Foundation. Although some charges have been laid already the Edmonton Journal reported October 2 that."the RCMP say they expect to lay more charges within the next three weeks." (Edmonton Journal, October 2, 2003). • Health Canada has called in the RCMP's fraud unit and terminated a $6.8-million funding deal with a Winnipeg-based native health organization. (Winnipeg Free Press, February 22, 2005) • Andy Scott revealed that when financial irregularities were found at Keeseekoose First Nation, the RCMP was called in and charges laid. (Globe and Mail, November 16, 2005)

• A prime suspect in the sweeping RCMP probe into alleged bribery of federal immigration judges twice bought his way out of jails in India before paying a human smuggler $8,000 to bring him to Canada. Last month, RCMP detectives alleged in sworn affidavits that Singh and members of his criminal organization pressured immigrants in Ottawa and Montreal to pay bribes of $10,000 to $15,000 that were shared with two Immigration and Refugee Board judges in exchange for favourable rulings. (National Post, July 5, 2003) • In one of Canada's most serious cases of passport theft, the RCMP foiled a scheme to sell 246 stolen blank Canadian passports -- but not before some of them found their way into the hands of international people-smuggling rings. (Globe and Mail, October 26, 2004). • The RCMP are probing allegations about immigration officer at Pearson Airport in relation to reports that a Romanian diplomat pulled strings in Canada so his exotic dancer daughter could get a work visa from immigration officials in 24 hours. (Toronto Sun, November 26, 2004). • Media reports revealed that a former staff member in Immigration Minister Judy Sgro's office is being probed for allegations relating to national security. (Toronto Sun, December 9, 2004). • A senior Citizenship and Immigration Canada official has been charged along with four others in an alleged cash-for-permanent-residency scheme involving tens of thousands of dollars. (Ottawa Sun, December 17, 2004). • According to media reports, the RCMP actually investigated allegations that Paul Martin supporter Gurbax Singh Malhi was using to granting of ministerial permits as a way to arrange political and financial support for Martin's leadership campaign. The RCMP reportedly looked into the matter but closed it when witnesses refused to cooperate (Globe and Mail, March 10, 2005)

• Transport Canada officials reveal that following a six-month internal government review of security clearances granted to airport workers, 73 cases have been deemed suspicious or incomplete enough to forward to the RCMP for further investigation of possible criminal ties (Times-Colonist, December 12, 2004) • Liberal MP Robert Thibault has asked the RCMP to look into the privatization of the Digby wharf: "I've asked the solicitor general and advised the minister of transport that I have asked for an RCMP review of the matter," he said (Chronicle-Herald, February 10, 2005). The RCMP have no plans to reopen an investigation into privatization of the Digby wharf however (Chronicle-Herald, April 1, 2005).

• The RCMP investigates allegations of Tim Murphy and Ujjal Dosanjh making offers to Conservative MPs to try and get them to cross the floor.

• RCMP reviewing complaints of possible leak of income trust announcement: Staff Sgt. Paul Marsh told Bloomberg News. (CTV.ca, November 30, 2005)

Updated Fri. Jan. 6 2006 9:59 PM ET

CTV.ca News

The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission is reviewing last November's alleged income trust leak and may launch an investigation, the regulator revealed in an e-mail sent to NDP Finance Critic Judy Wasylycia-Leis.

"They have a particularly strong record of looking into white collar crime, especially with Enron, while we in Canada do not," Wasylycia-Leis told Countdown with Mike Duffy.

"The governor of the Bank of Canada has compared our regulations in this area to the Wild West."

The e-mail was written Thursday by Ann H. Sulzber, special counsel to the SEC.

"We are taking your complaint very seriously, and have referred it to the appropriate people within the SEC," Sulzber writes, and refers to a telephone conversation with Wasylycia-Leis from the previous week.

snip

Angry

In what could be yet another scandal that could have major implications given the current concern over which party is best able to deal with gun violence, the RCMP has been asked to initiate yet another investigation into the Liberal Party (via Bourque):

The RCMP has been asked to probe a Liberal consultant over a $380,000 contract she was awarded to lobby Ottawa for funds for the ailing firearms registry.

The five-month contract was awarded by the justice department to Kim Doran in March 2003 to lobby the federal solicitor general, Treasury Board and Privy Council, according to a detailed lobbyist report.

At the time, Doran was representing the Coalition for Gun Control. The group, which receives both government and private funding, claims to represent anti-gun groups and municipalities. It is a strong supporter of the gun registry.

"The whole thing smells of corruption and cronyism," said Tony Bernardo, of the Canadian Shooting Sports Association.

The group yesterday asked the RCMP to probe the matter.

The entry in the lobbyist's database clearly shows $380,600 going to Kim Doran of the Capital Hill Group from the Department of Justice to help pay for her services to lobby on behalf of her client, the Coalition for Gun Control.

I guess the Coalition for Gun Control got a freebie. A professional lobbyist, paid for by the government in order to tell the government what it wanted to hear.

Of course, they would listen to Kim Doran. Why? Well, she's the Deputy National Director (Organization and Policy) of the federal Liberal Party, as reported by the Toronto Sun.

Conservative MP Garry Breitkreuz has been working the gun control file for a long time now. From Breitkreuz we get this spreadsheet showing contracts and expenses paid to the Coalition for Gun Control.

In August of 2002, the Coalition was paid by the government $380,600 to "develop strategies for implementation of the firearms law".

That's the same amount that went to Kim Doran in March of 2003 of that year to pay for lobbying services according to the Toronto Sun report.

What could this mean?

Here's what it looks like to me. The government cuts a cheque to the Coalition for Gun Control for $380,600 for a three-year contract to develop strategies to implement the gun control law.

But in March 2003, senior Liberal Kim Doran becomes a lobbyist, and on paper is paid $380,600 for her services, as per the Toronto Sun report.

Money flows from the Justice Deparment to the Coalition for Gun Control, then from the Coalition for Gun Control to Liberal executive and professional lobbyist Kim Doran, then from Kim Doran to her firm Capital Hill Group, then...where?

Well, if that money flowed through Kim Doran to the Capital Hill Group in 1993, it is interesting to note that between 1993 to 2003, the Capital Hill Group pumped over $136,000 into Liberal Party coffers.

Or are we dealing with some strange kind of coincidence here? Maybe we're misinterpreting one of the payments. Maybe we've misread the lobbyist report in some way, and "Government Funding" refers to the client and not to the lobbyist (but then the next lines "Contigency Fee" and "Communication Technique(s)" clearly refer to the lobbyist and not the client).

I would like to see what the Coalition for Gun Control delivered after three years and $380,600.

---------------------------------------- Good job FRiend!

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